Canute Lavard
Encyclopedia
Canute Lavard (March 12, 1096 – 7 January 1131) was a Danish prince. Later he was the first Duke of Schleswig and the first border prince who was both a Danish and a German vassal, a position leafing towards the historical double position of Southern Jutland
. Canute Lavard was also the ancestor of the Valdemarian Kings (Valdemarerne) and of their subsequent royal line.
and Boedil Thurgotsdatter
but as a minor he was bypassed in the election of 1104. He grew up in close contact with the noble family of Hvide
, who were later on to be among his most eager supporters. In 1115, his uncle, King Niels of Denmark
, placed him in charge of the Duchy of Schleswig (jarl af Sønderjyll) in order to put an end to the attacks of the Slavic Obotrites
. During the next fifteen years, he fulfilled his duty of establishing peace in the border area so well that he was titled Duke of Holstein
(Hertug af Holsten) and became a vassal of the Holy Roman Empire
.
He seems to have been the first member of the Danish royal family who was attracted by the knightly ideals and habits of medieval Germany, indicated by his changing his title to Duke of Schleswig (Hertug af Slesvig) . His appearance made him a popular man and a possible successor of his uncle, but he also acquired mighty enemies among the Danish princes and magnates, who apparently questioned his loyalty and feared his bond with Emperor Lothair III
, who had recognized him as sovereign over the western Wends
. Whether these suspicions were just or not is impossible to say.
Both Niels and his son, Magnus the Strong
, seem to have been alarmed by Canute's recognition by the emperor. On 7 January 1131, Canute was trapped in the Haraldsted Forest (Haraldsted Skov) near Ringsted
in Zealand and murdered by Magnus. Ringsted Abbey
, one of the earliest Benedictine
houses in Denmark, became the initial resting place of Canute Lavard. In 1157, Canute Lavard's remains were moved into a new chapel at St. Bendt's Church
in Ringsted. A chapel (Knut Lavards Kapel) was erected at the site of his death during medieval times but disappeared after the Reformation
. The ruins were rediscovered in 1883. In 1902 a memorial in the form of a 4-metre crucifix
was erected near the site of the death of Canute Lavard.
After the death of Canute Lavard, the Obotrite lands were partitioned between Pribislav
and Niklot
(1090–1160), both chiefs of the Obotrites. Some sources consider the death of Canute to be a murder committed by Magnus; some attribute it to Niels himself. The death provoked a civil war that intermittently lasted until 1157, ending only with the triumph of Canute’s posthumous son Valdemar I
. The fate of Canute and his son’s victory formed the background for his canonisation in 1170, which was requested by the same Valdemar. His feast day (Knutsdagen) is celebrated on the day of his death, January 7.
, daughter of Mstislav I of Kiev
and Christina Ingesdotter of Sweden
. They had four children:
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Southern Jutland
Southern Jutland is the name for the region south of the Kongeå in Jutland, Denmark. The region north of the Kongeå is called Nørrejylland . Both territories had their own ting assemblies in the Middle Ages . South Jutland is mentioned for the first time in the Knýtlinga saga.In the 13th century...
. Canute Lavard was also the ancestor of the Valdemarian Kings (Valdemarerne) and of their subsequent royal line.
Biography
Canute was the only legitimate son of Eric I of DenmarkEric I of Denmark
Eric I Evergood , also known as Eric the Good, , was King of Denmark following his brother Olaf I Hunger in 1095. He was a son of king Sweyn II Estridsson, by his wife Gunhild Sveinsdotter, and married Boedil Thurgotsdatter.-Biography:...
and Boedil Thurgotsdatter
Boedil Thurgotsdatter
Boedil Turgotsdotter was a medieval Danish queen, queen consort of King Eric I of Denmark.Bodil was the daughter of the Danish Earl Thrugot Fagerskind and sister of Svend Thrugotsen. Her grandfather, called Galicieulf in the Knytlinga Saga, was famous as a pilgrimager to Santiago de Compostela in...
but as a minor he was bypassed in the election of 1104. He grew up in close contact with the noble family of Hvide
Hvide
Hvide was a medieval Danish clan, and afterwards in early modern era a Danish noble surname of presumably one surviving branch of leaders of that clan. Before 16th century it was not used as surname...
, who were later on to be among his most eager supporters. In 1115, his uncle, King Niels of Denmark
Niels of Denmark
Niels of Denmark was King of Denmark from 1104 to 1134, following his brother Eric Evergood, and is presumed to have been the youngest son of king Sweyn II Estridson. Niels actively supported the canonization of Canute IV the Holy, and his secular rule was supported by the clergy...
, placed him in charge of the Duchy of Schleswig (jarl af Sønderjyll) in order to put an end to the attacks of the Slavic Obotrites
Obotrites
The Obotrites , also commonly known as the Obodrites, Abotrites, or Abodrites, were a confederation of medieval West Slavic tribes within the territory of modern Mecklenburg and Holstein in northern Germany . For decades they were allies of Charlemagne in his wars against Germanic Saxons and Slavic...
. During the next fifteen years, he fulfilled his duty of establishing peace in the border area so well that he was titled Duke of Holstein
Holstein-Glückstadt
The Duchy of Holstein in Glückstadt was the northernmost state of the Holy Roman Empire. It consisted of the part of Holstein that was ruled by the king of Denmark; its capital was Glückstadt on the River Elbe.-History:...
(Hertug af Holsten) and became a vassal of the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
.
He seems to have been the first member of the Danish royal family who was attracted by the knightly ideals and habits of medieval Germany, indicated by his changing his title to Duke of Schleswig (Hertug af Slesvig) . His appearance made him a popular man and a possible successor of his uncle, but he also acquired mighty enemies among the Danish princes and magnates, who apparently questioned his loyalty and feared his bond with Emperor Lothair III
Lothair III, Holy Roman Emperor
Lothair III of Supplinburg , was Duke of Saxony , King of Germany , and Holy Roman Emperor from 1133 to 1137. The son of Count Gebhard of Supplinburg, his reign was troubled by the constant intriguing of Frederick I, Duke of Swabia and Duke Conrad of Franconia...
, who had recognized him as sovereign over the western Wends
Wends
Wends is a historic name for West Slavs living near Germanic settlement areas. It does not refer to a homogeneous people, but to various peoples, tribes or groups depending on where and when it is used...
. Whether these suspicions were just or not is impossible to say.
Both Niels and his son, Magnus the Strong
Magnus the Strong
Magnus I of Sweden, son of Nicholas , later called Magnus the Strong , was a Danish duke who ruled Gothenland in southern Sweden from 1125 to 1130...
, seem to have been alarmed by Canute's recognition by the emperor. On 7 January 1131, Canute was trapped in the Haraldsted Forest (Haraldsted Skov) near Ringsted
Ringsted
Ringsted, a city in Ringsted municipality, is in the middle of the Danish island of Zealand. The municipal population is about 31,000 and the city population is 21,151 .Ringsted is approximately 60 km from Copenhagen.-Modern hotspot:...
in Zealand and murdered by Magnus. Ringsted Abbey
Ringsted Abbey
Ringsted Abbey was one of the earliest and most influential Benedictine houses in Denmark.- History :Ringsted was one of Denmark's earliest towns and in Viking times a center for worship. The town had a royal mint in 1020 and a Benedictine priory was established by Sven Estridsen before his death...
, one of the earliest Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
houses in Denmark, became the initial resting place of Canute Lavard. In 1157, Canute Lavard's remains were moved into a new chapel at St. Bendt's Church
St. Bendt's Church
St. Bendt's is a church in Ringsted, Denmark, which was originally part of a Benedictine monastery that burnt down in the 18th century. Built in the Romanesque style, it is the oldest brick church in Scandinavia, dating back to about 1170 when it replaced a travertine church from about 1080. It is...
in Ringsted. A chapel (Knut Lavards Kapel) was erected at the site of his death during medieval times but disappeared after the Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
. The ruins were rediscovered in 1883. In 1902 a memorial in the form of a 4-metre crucifix
Crucifix
A crucifix is an independent image of Jesus on the cross with a representation of Jesus' body, referred to in English as the corpus , as distinct from a cross with no body....
was erected near the site of the death of Canute Lavard.
After the death of Canute Lavard, the Obotrite lands were partitioned between Pribislav
Pribislav (Wagrian prince)
Pribislav was a 12th century prince of the West Slavic Obotrites with his power base in Wagria.Pribislav was the son of Budivoj...
and Niklot
Niklot
Niklot or Nyklot was a pagan chief or prince of the Slavic Obotrites and an ancestor of the House of Mecklenburg. From 1130 or 1131 until his death he was chief of the Obotrite confederacy, the Kissini, and the Circipani. At the same time he was Lord of Schwerin, Quetzin, and Malchow...
(1090–1160), both chiefs of the Obotrites. Some sources consider the death of Canute to be a murder committed by Magnus; some attribute it to Niels himself. The death provoked a civil war that intermittently lasted until 1157, ending only with the triumph of Canute’s posthumous son Valdemar I
Valdemar I of Denmark
Valdemar I of Denmark , also known as Valdemar the Great, was King of Denmark from 1157 until 1182.-Biography:...
. The fate of Canute and his son’s victory formed the background for his canonisation in 1170, which was requested by the same Valdemar. His feast day (Knutsdagen) is celebrated on the day of his death, January 7.
Issue
Canute Lavard was married to Ingeborg of KievIngeborg of Kiev
Ingeborg Mstislavna of Kiev was a Russian princess, married to the Danish prince Canute Lavard of Jutland.She was the daughter of grand prince Mstislav I of Kiev and Christina Ingesdotter of Sweden and was in about 1116 married to Canute in a marriage arranged by her maternal aunt, the Danish...
, daughter of Mstislav I of Kiev
Mstislav I of Kiev
Mstislav I Vladimirovich the Great was the Grand Prince of Kiev , the eldest son of Vladimir II Monomakh by Gytha of Wessex...
and Christina Ingesdotter of Sweden
Christina Ingesdotter of Sweden
Princess Christina Ingesdotter of Sweden was a Swedish princess and, by marriage, a princess of Veliky Novgorod, Rostov and Belgorod, spouse of Grand Prince Mstislav I of Kiev....
. They had four children:
- Margaret, married Stig Hvitaledr
- ChristinaChristine of DenmarkChristina Knutsdatter of Denmark, in Norway known as Kristin Knutsdotter, was a Danish princess and a Norwegian Queen consort, spouse of King Magnus IV of Norway....
(b. 1118), married (1133) Magnus IV of NorwayMagnus IV of NorwayMagnus IV Sigurdsson , also known as Magnus the Blind, was King of Norway from 1130 to 1135 and again from 1137 to 1139. His period as king marked the beginning of the civil war era in Norway, which lasted until 1240.... - Catherine, married Pribislav Henry, Duke of Mecklenburg
- Valdemar I of DenmarkValdemar I of DenmarkValdemar I of Denmark , also known as Valdemar the Great, was King of Denmark from 1157 until 1182.-Biography:...
(born 1131)
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Ancestry
Other sources
- Attwater, Donald and Catherine Rachel John (1993) The Penguin Dictionary of Saints. 3rd edition. (New York: Penguin Books) ISBN 0-14-051312-4
- Mortensen, Lars Boje (2006) The Making of Christian Myths in the Periphery of Latin Christendom (Ca. 1000-1300) (Museum Tusculanum Press) ISBN 978-8763504072
